The Moto Z Play DROID (our review) is the latest in Verizon’s lineup to see an update to Android Nougat. The update originally started rolling out over the weekend to a select group, with Big Red setting today as the date for full rollout. According to at least two of our readers and a bunch of people … Continued

The Moto Z Play DROID (our review) is the latest in Verizon’s lineup to see an update to Android Nougat. The update originally started rolling out over the weekend to a select group, with Big Red setting today as the date for full rollout. According to at least two of our readers and a bunch of people hanging out at the Z Play subreddit, the update is now live.

After a few days worth of soak tests, Verizon and Motorola started pushing the update to Android Nougat to the DROID Turbo 2. The update is arriving as software version 25.11.10. The update sure appears to be live for just about everyone, as our inbox filled up nicely yesterday afternoon with emails from excited Turbo 2 … Continued

After a few days worth of soak tests, Verizon and Motorola started pushing the update to Android Nougat to the DROID Turbo 2. The update is arriving as software version 25.11.10.

The update sure appears to be live for just about everyone, as our inbox filled up nicely yesterday afternoon with emails from excited Turbo 2 owners. To check, head into Settings>About>System updates.

In Android 7.0 Nougat, you’ll get multi-window access for running two apps at once, bundled notifications, quick replies within notifications, customizable quick settings, and more. To get the full changelog, hit up that Verizon link below.

The original DROID Turbo – yep, that one! – started receiving its update to Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow over the weekend. Again, this is the original Turbo, which is a solid 2 years old at this point, still receiving updates, even if they do seem months behind. The update includes WiFi Calling, access to Google Now … Continued

The original DROID Turbo – yep, that one! – started receiving its update to Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow over the weekend. Again, this is the original Turbo, which is a solid 2 years old at this point, still receiving updates, even if they do seem months behind.

The update includes WiFi Calling, access to Google Now on Tap (hah!), Doze (my lord this update is old), etc. It is indeed Android 6.0.1 with software version 24.81.5 and September’s security patch. September – how long has this update been sitting in a back room collecting dust? It’s December already, Moto.

As of now, most Turbo owners receiving the update are a part of Motorola’s soak test program. However, I do believe that a few non-soak testers have also seen the update. Verizon hasn’t updated their support pages for the phone, so my guess is that this update isn’t quite rolling out to all, but should be shortly.

On a related note, a handful (at least 4 people) of Turbo owners have reported that the update hasn’t gone well and that their phones are now bricked. I’ve peaked at some forum threads and still can’t tell if the issue is widespread or not. With a 2-year old phone, who knows how many of these are even in the wild.

Either way, be on the lookout, OG Turbo owners.

UPDATE: The full details of the Marshmallow update for the Turbo have been posted. You can view them at Verizon’s site.

One of my favorite phones of the year that few have probably entertained is on-sale at Verizon for just $10 per month at the moment. I’m talking about the Moto Z Play, arguably the best of the Moto Z family. This mid-range Moto Z model was originally priced at $17 per month or $408 if … Continued

One of my favorite phones of the year that few have probably entertained is on-sale at Verizon for just $10 per month at the moment. I’m talking about the Moto Z Play, arguably the best of the Moto Z family.

This mid-range Moto Z model was originally priced at $17 per month or $408 if bought out-right. Today, the price is $10 per month, which brings the 24-month total to just $240. Verizon isn’t selling it at $240 without a contract, though, but if you do sign-up for a device payment plan while buying the Moto Z Play, you are getting one of the better phone deals I’ve ever seen.

What’s so great about the Moto Z Play? A lot, actually. Outside of the 5.5-inch 1080p AMOLED display, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage (with SD slot), 16MP camera, Snapdragon 625 processor, “pure” Android experience, and access to Motorola’s Moto Mods line-up, this phone sports the best battery life of any phone ever. Seriously, ever and it’s not even close.

During my testing, this phone’s 3510mAh battery would last two days and I was almost always getting 8 hours of screen on time. I’ve just never seen anything quite like it. Oh, it also has Turbo Charging.

For a mid-range phone, especially at $240, this is an easy recommendation.

NOTE: According to Verizon’s site, the $10 per month price is because they are handing out $7 bill credits each month to make up the difference between $17 per month and $10.

UPDATE: The fine print is now making this deal seem much less appealing and accessible. As you can see in this screenshot, the deal may only be for new customers or new lines and not upgrades. Meh.

DROID Turbo 2 owners, a new update is on the way to your phones through Verizon. The update will arrive as software version 24.31.22 and will include WiFi Calling, along with the latest Android security updates. And yep, that’s it! To grab it, head into Settings>System updates. Verizon says that it may not start rolling … Continued

DROID Turbo 2 owners, a new update is on the way to your phones through Verizon. The update will arrive as software version 24.31.22 and will include WiFi Calling, along with the latest Android security updates.

And yep, that’s it!

To grab it, head into Settings>System updates. Verizon says that it may not start rolling out until October 3, which is Monday.

With WiFi Calling enabled (do so through Settings>Advanced Calling>Activate Advanced Calling), you will be able to place and receive calls while connected to a WiFi network. That means being able to talk on the phone even when you don’t have a great cell signal.

Of course you do, it was the DROID Bionic, aka the original hypebeast phone. OK, maybe not the original, but it was certainly one of those phones that had so much coverage after delays and design changes, that by the time it landed, it was doomed. And that’s why we’re #TBT-ing it today. The DROID Bionic … Continued

Of course you do, it was the DROID Bionic, aka the original hypebeast phone. OK, maybe not the original, but it was certainly one of those phones that had so much coverage after delays and design changes, that by the time it landed, it was doomed. And that’s why we’re #TBT-ing it today.

The DROID Bionic was originally introduced at a splashy press event during CES 2011. This was back when CES actually mattered to those of us in the mobile industry. The phone shown at the time, was going to be the first dual-core powered device with 4G LTE, but you have to remember that it was a part of Motorola’s Lapdock push as well. You see, Motorola wanted to create the ultimate power device that allowed users to have both connectivity in a phone and on a laptop like experience. Parts of the idea were brilliant, but as we now know, the implementation was probably ahead of its time and never fully materialized as we had hoped.

What I find so fascinating about the DROID Bionic is that I’m not sure I can recall a phone that was shown off, scrapped a few months later, and replaced by another phone under the same name. The original DROID Bionic looked like this (see below). As you can tell from the image at the top of this post, they are quite different.

Why the change? During 2011, we saw the big push of 4G LTE. Unfortunately, because LTE was so new, it didn’t exactly work with all of the different chipsets in phones at that time. The original Bionic sported a Tegra 2 processor, but Verizon, Motorola, and NVIDIA couldn’t seem to get the T2 and an LTE radio to play nice enough together and had to make the switch over to an OMAP mid-year to get the phone out before the holidays. They eventually did and that may have also been the beginning of the end in mobile for NVIDIA. That’s a tale for another day.

And then the Bionic dropped at a pretty steep price point, a massive marketing campaign came along with it, and few of you bought it. Well, that’s probably not the fairest representation of its sales, but I don’t think anyone considers the Bionic to be a smashing success. Those delays, the over-the-top and extra cheesy commercials, the design swap, the awful software (Blur!), and the poor experience through the Lapdock ultimately resulted in one of the bigger busts I can remember.

Whatever, though, let’s look at this guy one more time. That’s right, a special #TBT video just for the DROID Bionic.

For the Moto Z Play, being a mid-range phone that we wouldn’t typically review, we took a different approach to sharing our final thoughts on it. Hey, look, a video review from Droid Life! This should be interesting. If you have watched the DL Show in recent weeks or follow us on Twitter, you probably … Continued

For the Moto Z Play, being a mid-range phone that we wouldn’t typically review, we took a different approach to sharing our final thoughts on it. Hey, look, a video review from Droid Life! This should be interesting.

If you have watched the DL Show in recent weeks or follow us on Twitter, you probably know that I’ve actually become quite a big fan of this phone. It might be the legitimate 2-day battery life that has me brainwashed. Seriously, I have never in all my years reviewing phones, seen one that can last this long on a single charge. You get battery estimates from companies as they announce new phones, yet none ever live up to those numbers. This phone does and I am incredibly impressed.

But I also still find Moto’s approach to software refreshing, as well as the performance they seem to get right, even with lesser processors than flagships. The Moto Z Play really embodies what can be good in a $400 phone without any major sacrifices.

Of course, the camera isn’t going to win any awards, the design might turn some away, and the Verizon exclusivity is a downer. It’s not a perfect phone. At $400, though, I think it certainly should be proudly in the conversation of mid-tier phones. Oh and Moto Mods. Yeah it does those too, if that’s your thing.

Seriously, this was life not that long ago. Then again, this was also back when batteries weighed in at just 1300mAh. We now complain when a battery is “only” 3500mAh today. Spoiled brats, all of you. Anyone miss it? Maybe a little? Decent sized brick on the back of your phone to get you to 3PM?

The Moto Z Play is official, would you look at that! Yep, we have one and took it for a quick unboxing spin within the past few days. This phone will arrive on September 8 at a price of $408 or for as little as $17 per month at Verizon. You’ll notice I said “Verizon,” … Continued

The Moto Z Play is official, would you look at that! Yep, we have one and took it for a quick unboxing spin within the past few days. This phone will arrive on September 8 at a price of $408 or for as little as $17 per month at Verizon. You’ll notice I said “Verizon,” because this is another Big Red exclusive, if only temporarily.

What is the Moto Z Play? We have a full write-up here, but the basics are that it features solid specs for a budget phone, is very much a Moto Z, and works with all of the current Moto Mods, including the new Hasselblad True Zoom camera that you can learn about here and here.

I don’t mean to discount this device at all, but there isn’t a lot new here, since it is just a trimmed down (in the spec department) version of the Moto Z and Moto Z Force. The only real differences are in the areas you expect to be different like processor, display, camera, and battery. Motorola doesn’t appear to have cut too many corners, though, so this could be a budget phone to keep an eye on.

Just a quick note here, but we wanted to point out that owners of a DROID Turbo 2, Galaxy Note 4, or Galaxy S5 on Verizon should have seen a prompt for an update in recent days. No, none of the updates are anything exciting, but our inboxes and Twitter accounts have made it clear that … Continued

Just a quick note here, but we wanted to point out that owners of a DROID Turbo 2, Galaxy Note 4, or Galaxy S5 on Verizon should have seen a prompt for an update in recent days. No, none of the updates are anything exciting, but our inboxes and Twitter accounts have made it clear that a number of you are curious as to their details. So, here you go.

The DROID Turbo 2 is getting an update today to SU1.75B: 24.14.16 that “fixes device charging issues.” This update just popped up this morning, so if you aren’t seeing it yet, look for in within the next couple of days.

The Galaxy Note 4 jumped up to software version VRU2CPF3 as earlier as last Friday. The update is the latest security patch from Samsung.

The Galaxy S5 was also updated as early as last Friday, only to software version VRU2DPF4. The update aims to fix “an issue where the device couldn’t be unlocked, even when using the correct PIN or pattern unlock code.” Yikes, that actually sounds like a terrible bug.

Verizon’s original DROID Turbo is receiving an update today that includes the “latest” Android security patches and call performance improvements. It is not an update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow, in case you were wondering. I mention that because this phone is supposedly still getting the update to Android M, at least, that’s what Motorola’s support … Continued

Verizon’s original DROID Turbo is receiving an update today that includes the “latest” Android security patches and call performance improvements. It is not an update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow, in case you were wondering.

I mention that because this phone is supposedly still getting the update to Android M, at least, that’s what Motorola’s support page for it says. Well, they aren’t 100% behind it with an accompanying note about it being upgraded “pending partner support.” In other words, if Verizon doesn’t want to help, they aren’t about to care either. That may sound exceptionally harsh and critical, but the Turbo not getting Marshmallow ever wouldn’t shock anyone who owns a DROID MAXX, Ultra, or Mini.

We’ll let you know if anything changes. For now, grab that new update and at least secure yourselves.

]]>http://www.droid-life.com/2016/05/13/original-droid-turbo-gets-update-isnt-marshmallow/feed/74On June 9, Lenovo Will Show Off New Moto Products and First Project Tango Phonehttp://www.droid-life.com/2016/05/09/june-9-lenovo-will-show-off-new-moto-products-first-project-tango-phone/
http://www.droid-life.com/2016/05/09/june-9-lenovo-will-show-off-new-moto-products-first-project-tango-phone/#commentsMon, 09 May 2016 15:32:40 +0000http://www.droid-life.com/?p=186090

The new Moto and DROID phones we shared with you this morning will likely be unveiled on June 9 at Lenovo Tech World. On Friday, we received an invite to the 1-day conference from Lenovo and it does indeed say to expect new products from both Lenovo and Moto, along with the launch of the … Continued

The new Moto and DROID phones we shared with you this morning will likely be unveiled on June 9 at Lenovo Tech World. On Friday, we received an invite to the 1-day conference from Lenovo and it does indeed say to expect new products from both Lenovo and Moto, along with the launch of the first Project Tango smartphone.

Details are scarce, but the invite (and the Tech World site) both state that we will get to “watch Moto transform mobile in a snap.” That could be something camera-related, but it more than likely is in reference to modularity and “snapping” items onto those pins on the back of the phones we saw from earlier. It’s tough to say what kinds of modules you could attach to the back of the lower portion of a phone, but it could be things like a better external speaker, battery pack, or camera grip, similar to what we saw with the LG G5.

Other teasers for the conference mention new products that will “make your life better…connect your world…let you do more…help you realize your dreams.” Those are lofty, fluffy descriptors, so I wouldn’t put too much into them. I think the focus here is on Project Tango finally becoming a reality in phone form and new Moto phones bringing forth the modular mojo.

With the Project Tango phone, I don’t know that we have a clear understanding of whether or not Lenovo plans to make this some sort of consumer device. The technology is about room scaling and mapping, motion detection, and depth measuring, but maybe they’ll surprise us with the ultimate VR-creating, virtual gaming, live experience that we can’t live without.

Excited yet? There will be a live stream on June 9 for all to see, plus we’ll be in attendance.

EDIT: Confused Project Tango with Project Ara and have edited post to fix.

NOTE: The opening remark probably shouldn’t include DROID, since we know those are typically shown off at their own events and probably won’t be at the Lenovo conference. It was included in that line because the new Moto phones we saw are identical to the new DROID phone, thus the reason I grouped them. While we may not see a phone with DROID branding, the phones we will see will eventually come out with that DROID branding. You get that, though.

The DROID MAXX 2, a phone that has been vulnerable to at least 6 months worth security exploits since it was first introduced because of Motorola and Verizon’s failures to apply any of the patches from Google, received its first update over the weekend to Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Hooray for security! The update will arrive … Continued

The update will arrive on MAXX 2 owner’s phones in two parts, first as software version 23.44.3 before the important part (the Marshmallow part) shows up as 24.64.4. After updating, the MAXX 2 will get access to Google Now on Tap and Doze Mode (for better battery life), see better app permissions controls, utilize adoptable storage with an SD card, and more. It’s a big update, one that should have shipped on the phone from day 1.

To check for the update, head into Settings>About phone>System updates.

Alright, so remember back in December when a photo surfaced of a supposed Motorola phone we dubbed the Franken-iPhLumia360 (that’s pronounced eye-floom-ee-uh-360)? It was of a phone so distant in design from Motorola’s previous efforts that we stated something that didn’t seem all that outlandish at the time – that we were going to be beyond shocked … Continued

Alright, so remember back in December when a photo surfaced of a supposed Motorola phone we dubbed the Franken-iPhLumia360 (that’s pronounced eye-floom-ee-uh-360)? It was of a phone so distant in design from Motorola’s previous efforts that we stated something that didn’t seem all that outlandish at the time – that we were going to be beyond shocked if it was on any level real. Welp, it might be real! Check out all of these fabulous new renders that were posted by the folks at hellomotoHK over the weekend that look identical to that phone.

My, oh my.

So what are we looking at? Well, there is a lot to talk about here.

First, the phone up top has both DROID branding and Verizon’s new check mark, so we are just assuming that it is the next Turbo or some new DROID phone that you shouldn’t buy if you like software updates or security. The phones pictured below look almost identical, but lack the Verizon and DROID marks and could very well be the next Moto X (2016).

In terms of style, these phones look thin, really thin. They have fingerprint sensors situated on their bottom (HUGE) chins, lower IR sensors next to them to activate Moto Display, rear-facing speakers (EDIT: or are those contact pins?), and metal-ish looking exteriors. The fronts also have cameras with accompanying flashes and potentially more robust Moto Display capabilities, with options for wallpapers and/or colored widgets.

There are a variety of designs at play here, so it doesn’t seem like Moto Maker is going anywhere, even with the drastic changes from last year’s Moto X Pure Edition to what we are seeing in these new images. We have white or black fronts, along with white, gold accented, and multi-colored backs. I’m going to guess there will be even more, though I’m not sure if the leather or nylon backs can return with this design.

Each phone has a bulging disc camera setup that seems to be taking a playful approach to the Moto 360’s famous flat tire. I don’t even think we can call this a “hump” as it really does just look like a hockey puck slapped onto the back of a phone, ignoring any thought of a non-wobbly table presence. Obviously, the camera isn’t a dual setup like we have seen from Huawei and LG recently, but does appear to have a flash and a couple of other sensors, potentially a laser autofocus system.

As for other highlights, the bottom USB port seems to have some sort of cut-out on the backside. Is that something to keep an eye on or just an odd design choice? Tough to tell. Also, check out the terrible volume/power button situation. Ugh. Remember when HTC thought it was a good idea to put volume in two separate buttons and located them right up against the power button? Yeah, well, apparently Motorola didn’t get the memo on “How to Fail in Smartphone Button Setups” and is going that route here. Good luck ever figuring out which is which on the fly, in the most important of times.

See, there is a lot going on here. I’m still trying to take it all in on whether or not I like the new design or dislike it. There is a lot to like, but also plenty to raise an eyebrow or two at. Like, the lovable Moto dimple is gone and a fingerprint sensor has been placed on the front chin. For years and years and years, we have talked about the dimple being the perfect spot for a fingerprint reader and likely was going to be at some point, yet here it is gone and switched. I, obviously, hate that button setup and am not excited about a puck hump thingy on the backside. But the phone does look thin, appears to have an improved Moto Display experience, and Moto Maker will be back.

EDIT: As some have noted, that may not be a rear-speaker and could be contact pins. Does that mean a dock or other accessories? Will the new Moto X be modular? Brain now in overdrive. Also, the DROID phone does look to just have a speaker in place of the pins.

Here’s a pro tip on a Wednesday – stop buying Motorola and Verizon’s exclusive DROID phones if you care at all about software updates or security. I say that because Motorola and Verizon don’t seem to care about keeping them up-to-date, even as Google and the rest of the Android industry are at least doing their … Continued

Here’s a pro tip on a Wednesday – stop buying Motorola and Verizon’s exclusive DROID phones if you care at all about software updates or security. I say that because Motorola and Verizon don’t seem to care about keeping them up-to-date, even as Google and the rest of the Android industry are at least doing their best to provide timely security patches. Not only are owners of these phones missing out on new features, but they are susceptible to non-patched security vulnerabilities that most phones are protected from.

Marketed as the ultimate flagships when they launch, the DROID brand of phones have become laughing stocks in terms of support. At this point, we are well beyond blaming Motorola’s thinned out support staff and Verizon’s notoriously slow update approval or testing process. This is borderline offensive and should deter you from even considering a Turbo 3 or whatever robotic name these two cook up and sell you on later this year.

Aside from the fact that the Turbo 2 (and original Turbo) were solid phones with great battery life and unique features like a shatterproof display, they are typically some of the last phones to receive the latest and greatest (including protection) from Google. Take the Turbo 2 as a shining example. In stores on October 29 of last year, after three botched attempts at releasing Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Motorola and Verizon finally produced the update for all customers today. Google originally released stable Android 6.0 on October 5 after a number of previews. So not only did the Turbo 2 launch with year-old software, even though Marshmallow had been available for almost a month as a stable build, it then took Motorola and Verizon 6 months to finally update it to that version of Android, which again, had been out for almost a month before it hit stores.

Want a worse example? Look at 2014’s original DROID Turbo, which hit store shelves on October 30 with Android 4.4.4 KitKat, weeks after Android 5.0 Lollipop was announced and just days before it was made available via stable channel, didn’t receive the update to Lollipop until July of 2015. That’s 8 months later for a phone dubbed as a flagship.

Hold on, though, I think I can even top that one. The DROID MAXX 2, the budget-friendly DROID that launched alongside the Turbo 2 at the end of last year, has yet to receive any sort of software update. Think about that for a second. A phone that is 6 months old, has never received a single update. Forget the fact that almost all phones launch with bugs that need squashing, that means it not only hasn’t received the update to Marshmallow, but it hasn’t seen a single security patch. Google releases security patches every single month to address often scary security vulnerabilities. Samsung, a company who is almost as bad as Motorola has become at updating phones, still manages to at least push out monthly patches. Verizon and Moto with their DROIDs, almost never.

Oh, and get this. The DROID MAXX 2’s Marshmallow status page on Motorola’s site only says that it will receive the update to Android 6.0 “pending partner support.” That doesn’t exactly sound like a promise or guarantee any longer. Look at this.

As you can see, this isn’t a new situation, but it is one that seems to be getting worse. Maybe that’s a sign of the (probably overdue) impending death of the DROID brand or maybe it’s just another reason to avoid carrier exclusives. If anything, it’s 100% reason enough to avoid buying the next DROID, if there is one.